Soldering apparatus



April 1, 1952 c. HABEI.

soLDERING APPARATUS 8 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 5, 1950 April 1, 1952 c. HABEL.

soLDERmG APPARATUS 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 5, 195o April 1, 1952 c. HABEL SOLDERING APPARATUS 8 Sheeds-Sheet 3 Filed May 5, 1950 if ,NM M E o a W Zw Z 5 April 1, 1952 c. HABEL SOLDERING APPARATUS 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 5, 1950 April 1, 1952 c. HABEL SOLDERING APPARATUS 8 Sheets--Sheel 5 Filed May 5, 1950 April 1, 1952 c. HABEI. 2,591,065

SOLDERING APPARATUS l Filed May 5, 1950 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 TToeA/s-YS April 1, 1952 c. HABEI. 2,591,065

SOLDERING APPARATUS v Filed May 5, 195o 8 sheets-sheet 7 /NVE/V TOE ABL #n4/SEL 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 C. HABE!- SOLDERING APPARATUS C) .ff/Jf April 1, 1952 Filed May 5, 1950 U' C) L;

Patented Apr. 1, -952 soLnERING APPARATUS Carl Habel, Warren, Ohio, assigner to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application May 5, 1950, Serial No. 160,17 6

(Cl. 21B- 12) 8 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for facilitating the assembly of electrically conducting parts and for making a solder connection between two parts of the assembly.

An object of the invention is to provide ior the assembly of a wire with a hollow contacter which receives the wire and also a piece of solder and to provide for melting the solder by passage of electric current so as to provide a mass of molten solder within the contactor and into which an end of the wire extends so that the solder, on solidifying, will unite the wire with the contacter. A further object is to provide means for testing the strength of the solder bond by the application of tension to the wire.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide for permanently uniting a loose assembly comprising a solid contactor and a hollow contacter, a helical coil spring between the contactors for urging them apart, awire connected with the solid contactor and extending through the spring and into the hollow contactor and a piece of solder in the hollow contacter. To accomplish this, the disclosed embodiment of this invention provides a conveyor which moves a plurality of workholders each adapted to receive and support the loose assembly and means for indexing the conveyor to bring the workholders successively to a solder melting `station where connection with a current source is comn pleted by advancing an electrode into contact with the hollow contactor and then to an assembly removing station where a device removes the assembly and applies tension to the wire by effecting movement of one of the contactors relative to the other.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Figs. 1 and 2 form a plan view of the machine, only one workholder being shown on the dial Eli as in Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the machine, the work assembly remover and the assembly ejector being omitted for sake of clearness.

Fig. 4 is a )plan View of a part of the operating mechanism in the direction of arrow 4 of Fig. 3, the part in section being on line ll-A of Fig. 5. I l5---5 of Fig. 5 is a sectional view cn line Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line E-S of Fig. 4.

' Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line 1-1 of Fig. 4.

- Fig. 8 is a sectional View on line 8-8 of Figs. 3 and 5. l

Fig. 9 is a view in the direction oi arrow 9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. l0 is a fragmentary enlargement of a portion cf Fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary enlargement of a portion of Fig. 2.

Fig. 12 is a view in the direction of arrow I2 of Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary enlargement of an end portion of each of levers |54 and E55 shown in Fig. 12.

Figs. 14. and 15 are views, respectively, in the directions of arrows I4 and I5 of Fig. 13.

Fig. 16 is an enlarged plan view of the upper arm of a Workholder.

Fig. 17 is a fragmentary view in the direction of arrow I1 of Fig. 16.

Fig. 18 is a sectional View on line iii-I8 of Fig..16 and showing the electrode IH retracted.

Fig. 19 is a View of a part of Fig. 18 with the electrode Ill advanced.

Fig. 20 is a view of the lower arm of a workholder looking in the direction of arrow 2i] of Fig. 18.

Figs. 21, 22 and 23, respectively, are front, top and side views of a brush and brush holder assembly.

A base 30 is supported above the iioor by a frame'Sl which supports a plate 32. A motor 33 on plate 32 drives a pulley 34 connected by a belt 35 with a pulley 3S attached to a shaft 31 supported by a bracket 33 supported by plate 32. Shaft 31 drives a pulley 39 connected by a belt 4c with a pulley 4l which a speed reducer in a housing i2 connects with a shaft 43. A coupling 44 connects shaft 43 with a shaft "i5 supported by bearings 43.

Shaft 43 drives a gear 50 meshing with a gea;` 5| connected with a shaft 152 (Fig. 8) journaled in bearings 53 provided by a bracket 54. Shaft 52 drives a gear 55 meshing with a gear 55 con nected -with a shaft 51 journaled in bearings 58 and 159 :provided by bracket 54 (Figs. 3, 5 and 9).

Plate 341|v (Fig. 5) supports a flange 60 of a post 6l which supports bearings 32 journaling a hub 63 of a' rotary conveyor or dial 64. To the hub 63 is attached a disc 55 which carries concentric rows of'pins 63 and 61. Shaft 51 drives a lever 10 clockwise in Figs. 8 and 10 to cause it to push a pin 56 to 66 just as a notch 1l of a disc 12, driven by shaft 51, receives a pin 61 at S1. Therefore, while lever 1i! pushes a pin 66 to 66", disc 12 pushes a pin 61 to $1". After that, lever 10, having pushed a pin 5d out of its path, disc 12 operates alone to rotate the disc 65 until the notch 1l leaves a pin 61. Then rotation of disc 65 stops after it has been rotated an angular distance equal to the spacing of workholders, to be described, cn the dial G4. Between indexes of the dial 64, it cannot rotate because the cylindrical ber to the number of workholders on the dial.

A spring 15, which urges the plunger 13 into the insert 14, is supported by a bracket 16 which, at

11, pivotally supports a lever 18 having a slot 19 which receives a pin 85 carried by the plunger 13. Lever 13 carries a roller 8| engaged by a cam B2 driven by shaft 45, said cam operating to retract plunger from a dial insert 14 just before dialindexing begins and to permit the spring 15 to force the plunger 'i3 into an insert 14 just after indexing the dial.

Shaft 45 (Figs. d and 6) drives a gear 90 which meshes with a gear 9| connected with a shaft 92 journaled by a bracket 93 attached to plate 30. Shaft 92 drives a gear 94 which ineshes with a gear 55 attached to a shaft 56 journaled by bearing brackets 51 and 98 attached, respectively, to plate 5!) and a plate 59 which strips 95a attach to plate 35. Shaft 55 drives a cam |50 engaged by a roller |5| attached to a vertical plate |112 attached to a horizontal plate |63 having grooves ||13a which receive rollers |04 pivotally supported bya block |55 attached to plate 99. Roller lili is urged against cam |55 by a spring |05 attached at its ends respectively to a fixed plate |01 at- 0 tached to block |55 and a plate |08 attached to plate |53. Plate |02 supports a non-conducting plate |55 which supports a metal plate ||i carrying an electrode and connected with a terminal of a current source by one or more conductors sockets H1 for brushes ||8 which springs H9' retained by screw plugs 2|) urge upwardly against the underside of dial 64 as shown in Fig. 1T

The assembly of parts to be permanently united comprises a solid conductor |2| (Fig. 18) to which a flexible wire |22 has been previously attached, a hollow conductor |23 which receives the wire, a helical coil spring |25 between the vconductors and bits of solder |25 received by the conductor |23. When the electrode is moved to the position shown in Fig. 19, current passes from the current source and the solder |25 melts and forms a mass in the bottom ofthe conductor 23. After the electrode i is retracted, the solder solidifies and forms a bond connecting the wire |22 with the conductor i 23 and the parts are held in assembly.

To retain the parte in loose assembly as shown in Fig. 18, the dial 54 provides a workholder comprising an upper arm supported above the dial by a rod |3| and having a notch |32 which receives conductor |2|, there being a spring |33, attached by a screw |34 which retains that conductor in the notch, and comprising a' lower arm |35 having a socket |35 which receives the bot torn end of conductor |23, the side of which is received by a notch |31 in a bar |38 which, together with arm |35, is retained by a screw |39 in a groove of the dial S4. When the parts are located as shown in Fig. '18, the spring |24 urges the conductors apart so that they are retained by the arms of the worlrholder.

Gear 9i! (Fig. 6) meshes with a gear |4| attached to a shaft |42 journaled by a bracket |43 supported by plate 30. Shaft |42 drives a gear lil) |44 meshing with a gear |45 attached to a shaft |45 (Fig. l2) journaled in bearings provided by a bracket |41 supported by plate 35. Shaft |45 drives a gear |48 meshing with a gear |49 attached to a shaft |56 journaled in bearings |5| and |52 supported respectively by a bracket |53 and a plate |53c attached to bracket |53 which is supported by plate 35.

A means for removing an assembly of parts from a workholder is driven by shaft |59. This means comprises upper and lower blades |54 and |55 having aligned notches |55 (Fig. 13) in their thin end portions which have surfaces |51 and |58 (Fig. 14) tapering to very thin points. Blade |54 is directly attached to shaft |55, and blade |55 is attached to a massive hub |59 splinedly connected with shaft |55 by a key |60. Hub |59 provides a cam |5| which, by gravity, engages a follower roller |52 supported by plate |53a. As the blades ld, |55 turn counterclockwise (Fig. ll), their thin ends move in between turns of spring |24 and the narrow parts of their notches |55 receive the wire |22, and the assembly of parts is removed from the holder. After said removal, the cam |5| presents abruptly a notch to the roller |52 whereby the massive hub |59 and the supported blade |55 descends and the wire |22 is placed under tension since the lower conductor |23 is urged by gravity away from the upper conductor |2I. If the bond between the wire |22 and the lower conductor |23 is strong enough to withstand the pull on the wire |22, the assembly is retained by the blades |54, |55, otherwise the assembly is pulled apart and it falls from the blades into a hopper, not shown.

- The assembly, which remains on the blades |54 and |55 after the blade |55 has descended to tension, the wire |22 is ejected by a finger ll (Figs. 11 and 12) which rotates clockwise at twice the speed of the blades. Finger |10 extends from a shaft |1| journaled by bearings |12 supported by bracket |53 and connected with a gear |13 which meshes with a gear |14 driven by shaft |59. The ejected assembly is caught by a chute (not shown) on which it gravitates into a hopper.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. Apparatus for connecting a wire to a metal contactor by solder and comprising a conveyor', metal workholders supported thereby, each for supporting an assembly including a hollow, metal contactor, a wire extending therein and a piece of solder within the contacter, means for indexing the conveyor to bring the holders successively to a soldering station, an electrode for engaging the contactor, a mechanism for advancing and retracting the electrode with respect to the contactors while at the soldering station, means for connecting the electrode l and the workholders with terminals of a current source to provide an electrical circuit closed by engagement of the electrode with the contacter whereby the passage of current melts the solder which, on solidi fying subsequent to retraction of the electrode, unites the wire with the contacter and an -assembly remover provided with means for placing the wire under tension to determine whether the wire is attached to the contacter by the solder.

2. Apparatus for connecting a wire to a metal contactor by solder and comprising a conveyor, metal workholders supported thereby, each for Supporting an assembly comprising a wire, a helical coil spring, two contactors, one of which has been attached previously to the wire and the other of which is hollow and is closed at one end, and a piece of solder, said holder having a lower member which supports the hollow contacter vertically with its closed end down and having an upper member receiving the other contactor and locating it vertically above the hollow contactor, the wire extending therefrom substantally to the bottom of the hollow contactor in which the solder is placed, the spring being located around the wire and between the contactors and urging them respectively against said members, means for indexing the conveyor to locate the workholders successively at a soldering station, an electrode for engaging the hollow contactor, a mechanism for advancing and retracting the electrode with respect to the hollow contactor while at the soldering station and means for connecting the electrode and the workholders with terminals of a current source to provide an electrical circuit ciosed by engagement of the electrode with the hollow contacter whereby the passage of current melts the solder which, on solidifying subsequent to retracts of the electrode, unites the wire with said hollow contactor.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 having an assembly remover comprising two spaced arms engageable with the assembly respectively near to the contactors and provisions for causing one of the arms to be urged away from the other arm so as to place the wire under tension to determine whether the wire is attached to the hol low contactor by the solder.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 having an assembly remover comprising two spaced arms engageable with the assembly respectively near to the contactors and provisions for causing one of the arms to be urged away from the other arm so as to place the wire under tension to determine whether the wire is attached to the hollow contacter by the solder, said assembly falling from the holder if the wire is pulled away from the hollow contactor, and having means for ejecting, from the arms, the assembly retained thereby after the wire has been placed under tension.

5. Apparatus for connecting a wire to a metal contactor by solder and comprising a conveyor, metal workholders supported thereby, each for supporting an assembly comprising a wire, a helical coil spring, two contactors, one of which has been attached previously to the wire and the other of which is hollow and is closed at one end, and a piece of solder, said holder comprising a lower arm which supports the hollow contactor, closed end down, and an upper arm which receives and locates, vertically above the hollow contactor, the contactor previously attached to the wire which is suspended from that contacter and extends into the hollow contactor, said spring being around the wire and located between the contactors and urging them respectively upwardly and downwardly against the upper and lower arms of the holder, means for indexing the conveyor to locate the workholders successively at a soldering station, an electrode for engaging the hollow contactor, a

mechanism for advancing and retracting the electrode with respect to the hollow contacter while at the soldering station, means for connecting the electrode and the workholders with terminals of a current source to provide an electrical circuit closed by engagement of the electrode with the hollow contacter whereby the passage of current melts the solder which, on solidifying subsequent to retracting of the electrode, unites the wire with said hollow contactor, means for removing the assembly from the holder and for placing the wire under tension to test whether the wire is attached by solder to the hollow contactor, said removing means comprising two vertically aligned, spaced blades having notches and movable between turns or the spring to receive respectively spaced portions of the wire, the lower one of the blades being weighted and movable vertically, means for elevating the lower blade prior to receiving the wire and for moving the blades between turns of the spring in order to receive the wire in the notches and to remove the assembly from the holder while the conveyor is stationary, said means providing after removal of the assembly, for the release of the lower blade so that it descends by gravity to place the wire under tension.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 having means for ejecting from the blades, the assembly which is retained thereby if the wire remains attached to the hollow contactor after release of the lower blade.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5 in which the blade moving means comprises a shaft which rotates the blades, a xed cam follower, a cam attached to the lower blade and urged by gravity against the follower and having a contour such as to provide for elevation of the lower blade prior to engagement with the assembly and for release of the lower blade after removal of the assembly from the holder.

8. Apparatus according to claim 5 in which the blade moving means comprises a shaft which rotates the blades, a xed cam follower, a cam attached to the lower blade and urged by gravity against the follower and having a contour such as to provide for elevation of the lower blade prior to engagement with the assembly and for release of the lower blade after removal of the assembly from the holder, a second shaft driven by the rst shaft at faster speed and a finger rotated by the second shaft into contact with the assembly retained by the blades after release of the lower blade.

CARL HABEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,743,519 Bardet et al Jan. 14, 193D 1,876,821 Dugan Sept. 13, 1932 1,885,992 Coyle et al Nov. 1, 1932 1,886,257 Brisbois Nov. 1, 1932 2,025,917 Van Cleef Dec. 31, 1935 2,419,484 Danziger Apr. 22, 1947 2,439,517 Johnson Apr. 13, 1948 2,494,474 Fermanian et al. Jan. 10. 195o 

